Along with new laptops, PCs and Republic of Gamers gear, ASUS has also unveiled their latest lineup of small form factors products (compact and versatile for a diverse range of usages) and connected devices (impeccable connectivity in ASUS’ ecosystem) at CES® 2018 in Las Vegas. Brace yourself for the incoming load of tech jargon quoted straight outta the fresh press release:

In terms of small form factors products:

PB40 mini PC

“The ASUS PB40 mini PC offers unparalleled connectivity with up to six USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C™ (USB-C™) ports and an ultraflexible I/O port with VGA/DP/COM/HDMI support. Its metallic chassis houses the latest 8th Generation Intel® Pentium® Silver processors for powerful performance. PB40 is also offered in a fanless design with Celeron® processors for completely silent operation. In addition to its compact design, PB40 supports optional stackable modules for components such as optical drives to provide space-saving versatility for a wide range of usage scenarios.”

PN40 mini PC

“Powered by latest 8th Generation Intel Pentium Silver and Celeron processors, the new ASUS PN40 mini PC features a sliding bottom case design for easy assembly. Compact and lightweight, it measures 114 x 114 x 49mm and weighs just 700g. With a wide range of connectivity options — including USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C for fast data transmission, and a changeable I/O port for VGA or COM support — PN40 is ideal for both home entertainment and business solutions.”

ASUS Chromebox 3

“ASUS Chromebox 3 is the latest addition to the ASUS Chromebox family and is powered by an 8th Generation Intel Core processor and DDR4-2400 memory for faster, smoother and more energy-efficient performance. It is equipped with a versatile USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port for fast data transfers, power delivery, and DisplayPort connectivity. ASUS Chromebox 3 will also support Google Play.”

Tinker Board S

“The new Tinker Board S features 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage, while retaining the same board size and component placement as the original Tinker Board. On display at the ASUS showcase room were two demos illustrating some of the ways the powerful Tinker Board S can turn ideas into reality. The first demo showcased how the memory and I/O speed of Tinker Board S make it ideal for image recognition applications. The second demo highlighted how the 192 KHz audio output and support for digital-to-analog converter (DAC) add-on cards can improve home entertainment.”

In terms of connected devices:

ASUS Lyra Voice

“Winner of the CES 2018 Innovation award, Lyra Voice is a two-in-one 802.11ac mesh Wi-Fi system and voice assistant with powerful stereo speakers, a microphone and integrated Amazon Alexa voice control. Users can interact with Amazon Alexa simply by talking to Lyra Voice, enabling them to play music, hear the news, check the weather, control smart-home devices, and more. Part of the Lyra mesh Wi-Fi system family, Lyra Voice is a tri-band, AC2200-class device that communicates with other connected Lyra hubs to provide whole-home coverage with no Wi-Fi dead zones.”

ASUS Lyra Trio

“Lyra Trio is a stylish, dual-band, multi-hub mesh Wi-Fi system with unique antenna placement to deliver impeccable Wi-Fi to every corner of the home — banishing Wi-Fi dead zones. Lyra Trio features 3x3 MIMO technology and seamless roaming to deliver superior Wi-Fi speeds and automatically connect users to the best possible signal wherever they are in the home, ensuring consistently fast and smooth connections. This eye-catching new Wi-Fi-system also boasts always-on privacy protection for all connected smart devices for the life of Lyra Trio, ensuring that security is always up to date.”

ASUS RT-AX88U

“RT-AX88U is a dual-band router featuring the next-generation 802.11ax wireless standard for ultrafast Wi-Fi speeds of up to 6000Mbps. With a revolutionary combination of OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology, 802.11ax technology provides 4X-faster throughput than 802.11ac technology on connected devices in traffic-dense environments, while also increasing network capacity and efficiency. RT-AX88U’s eight Gigabit LAN ports and MU-MIMO for both uplink and downlink communications make RT-AX88U the ideal solution for busy environments such as LAN parties, which demand high capacity for both wireless and wired connections. RT-AX88U also includes AiProtection, commercial-grade network security powered by Trend Micro™, to block and neutralize internet security threats for all connected smart devices. It's also compatible with the ASUS AiMesh Wi-Fi system for seamless whole-home coverage.”

ASUS NovaGo

"NovaGo is the world’s first Gigabit LTE-capable laptop designed for truly connected mobility, providing users with an always-on, always-connected experience with Windows 10. This ultrathin and light convertible laptop is powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 Mobile PC platform, and features a Gigabit Snapdragon X16 LTE modem for lightning-fast download speeds of up to 1Gbps — 3X to 7X-faster than average broadband speeds. NovaGo is a new breed of laptop designed for the tech-savvy user who is aware of the new and exciting always-on, always-connected possibilities offered by the Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC platform. The latest premium-tier Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC platform is designed to provide superior user experiences with fast connectivity and exceptional efficiency."

ASUS ZenFone Max Plus (M1)

“ZenFone Max Plus (M1) is the first model in the new ZenFone Max Series, the world’s only range of high-battery-capacity smartphones, perfect users that need their devices to just keep running. ZenFone Max Plus (M1) is the first ASUS smartphone with a 5.7-inch full-view display in an amazingly compact body that's no larger than many standard 5.2-inch smartphones. With its expanded viewing area, compact size, dual rear cameras, convenient face- and fingerprint-recognition security, and a high-capacity 4130mAh battery — the hallmark of the ZenFone Max Series — ZenFone Max Plus (M1) offers a class-leading combination of features designed to encompass all of life's adventures.”

To read about the latest lineup release of ASUS’ ROG products and other hardwares, click here.

Gamehubs is a media company, magazine publisher and online portal that is built by a team of gamers for gamers. We seek to serve the “nerdy” needs of the worldwide gaming community, though with a more in-depth focus to Asian gamers. You’ll find stories related to the region, with features, interviews, and even occasional satires that define the gaming scene in Southeast Asia. Gamehubs is also available in native Thailand and Indonesia at th.gamehubs.com and id.gamehubs.com.

Beyond our online presence, Gamehubs is the official licensee of Edge Asia edition, one of the UK’s oldest and most reputable gaming magazines. This is part of our effort to be more inclusive and adaptive to the current gaming scene, especially in Southeast Asia, and we believe that there are still gamers who prefer physical mediums to enhance their knowledge of the video games industry.

Whether it’s a second opinion you’re seeking to make that purchase decision, or to engage with news of the industry’s quips and qualms in Southeast Asia, we’re more than happy to bridge that gap between you and your favourite video games.